NBA Finals 2015, Cavaliers vs. Warriors Game 1: Recap and highlights (Video)

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The Cavaliers vs. Warriors NBA Finals series is already shaping up to be a classic, and LeBron James turned it on late to make things interesting.

We waited all season for the NBA Finals we had a good feeling we’d be watching right now. The Golden State Warriors were the best team in the Western Conference while the Cavaliers in Cleveland managed to be the most exciting team down the stretch.

Both teams were destined to be here and now that they are it’s been a doozy to watch.

Game 1 of the Cavaliers vs. Warriors NBA Finals series was about as much of a ping-pong match as it got, with the teams trading buckets like they haven’t all season long. There were runs to be had, but for the most part both teams stayed relatively close to one another right down to the very end.

Early on it was all about the bit players, not the two stars everyone was watching with anticipation. It was the J.R. Smith’s and Andre Igulodala’s of the world that dominated things early and made things exciting.

Right before halftime, J.R. Smith ended things with the most J.R. Smith buzzer beater ever.

Of course, what’s an NBA Finals game without Kyrie Irving making his presence known. He drew the ire of Dubs fans with a nasty crossover that looked like he traveled — but he didn’t.

LeBron James wasn’t about to sit around and let the Warriors go on a late run without having a say about things. After starting the game hot and falling into a lull, LeBron turned it on in a big way with some massive buckets.

"LeBron with a TOUGH shot on ABC…he’s got 39 points! #NBARapidReplay http://t.co/PG4J3ecCbz— NBA (@NBA) June 5, 2015"

Late in the game, it was Steph Curry who did his best LeBron James impression and turned it on in a big way. On one specific play, he went so hard at LeBron that he faked him out on a big bucket.

Things were tight at the end of the game, with the score tied 98-98, when the true star of Game 1 showed up in a big way. We had watched Kyrie Irving have a great game, but it was when he announced his presence in the final moment of the game to stop an easy Steph Curry bucket that would have given the Warriors the lead.

It was a game saving blocked shot that instantly switched the momentum back over to Cleveland. The Cavaliers weren’t able to capitalize on the final possession and overtime was needed to determine a winner.

Had the Cavaliers won the game in regulation, there’s a chance that Kyrie Irving might not have suffered what could be a devastating injury in overtime. That’s what happened though, as the game was quickly defined by a knee injury that might change this series drastically.

The NBA Finals will now pivot back to Cleveland for the next two games, as the new format for the series could end up benefiting the Cavaliers. Still, they’ll need to play much tighter than they did in Game 1, as they can’t rely on LeBron James to bail them out — it needs to be a team effort.

So where can you watch Game 2 of the Cavaliers vs. Warriors NBA Finals? We have all the information for you right here so you don’t miss a second of the action:

Date: Sunday, June 6th
Start Time: 8pm ET
Location: Cleveland, OH
Venue: Quicken Loans Arena
Series Score: Warriors lead 1-0
TV Channel: ABC
Live Stream: Watch ESPN

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